'Slightly heavy': Portsmouth ramping up Fratton Park squad exits as transfer window ticks down

The signing of the central defender from Sydney FC takes their tally of January newcomers to four, with Rob Atkinson, Isaac Hayden and Thomas Waddingham also arriving.

Coupled with Conor Shaughnessy’s availability after long-term injury and Mark O’Mahony returning to training, the Blues currently find themselves ‘slightly heavy’ in terms of squad numbers.

Tom Lowery and Ben Stevenson have long been surplus to requirements and head the list of potential exits in the current transfer window.

Yet Pompey also now want to offload other members of John Mousinho’s set-up to reduce playing numbers.

The head coach told The News: ‘There is certainly scope for players leaving considering where we are with the squad. We’ve been in a position where we have been slightly heavy.

‘It hasn’t been an issue, it has been really manageable. We’ve had quite a few injuries as well, but with the injured coming back and the players signings, there is definitely scope to slim the squad down.

‘We don’t know what that looks like at the moment. Even with Hayden (Matthews) coming into the building, we still aren’t quite as strong in terms of numbers as we would like to be or hopefully will be in a couple of weeks once there’s a couple of players back. So we can’t necessarily do that at the moment.

‘But all of a sudden, if Mark O’Mahony is back in the fold, if there's a couple of others as well, we’re in a different position in terms of outs.

‘There is always plenty of interest when players aren’t playing. At the minute it has not been something we have been too focused on because, for the majority of these games through December and January, we’ve been filling the squad with the 20 players available. So it has never been a conversation for us.

‘Now we’ve got four new players in and a couple back from injury - say Mark and Shocks - that’s a different prospect.’

Certainly in the centre-half position the Blues have Rob Atkinson, Ryley Towler, Tom McIntyre, Hayden Matthews and Conor Shaughnessy in contention, with Marlon Pack also a stand-in option.

In addition, Regan Poole is still feeling his way back from injury, while Ibane Bowat has been ruled out for the season.

While in the centre of midfield, the Blues have Isaac Hayden, Freddie Potts, Andre Dozzell, Owen Moxon and Pack.

And with the window closing on Monday (February 3) at 11pm, Mousinho admits some may depart.

He added: ‘If we do bring any additional players in at the back end of this week as well, that tips the numbers again a bit further.’